The present disclosure generally relates to configuration management of electronic systems. In particular, this disclosure relates to generating hardware unit placement recommendations to manage electronic system availability.
A field replaceable unit (FRU) may be hardware (e.g., a printed circuit board, electronic module or assembly) that is part of an electronic system such as a computer or server, and which may be quickly and easily removed and replaced by a user or a technician. FRUs may allow a user or technician lacking in-depth product knowledge to isolate and replace faulty components or upgrade an electronic system without having to send the entire system to a repair facility. FRUs may be included in commercial and certain high-end consumer products.
Types of FRUs contained within electronic systems may include memory modules, central processing units (CPUs), data storage hardware such as hard disk drives and solid-state drives, input/output (I/O) adapters, power supply units and other standardized electronic modules and/or assemblies. A FRU may be designed to have standard dimensions and/or include a standardized electrical connector that allows it to be used interchangeably with similar FRUs within an electronic system. Incorporating FRUs into the design of electronic systems may be useful in reducing the total cost of system ownership as well as the cost of system maintenance and support costs.